So THAT'S What Little Debbie Meant it to Taste Like!

Day 78.

It's Cookie Friday! Each Friday in the month of March, I'm duplicating a classic cookie recipe. This week, it's Little Debbie's Oatmeal Cream Pie.

Last week, I created a cookie recipe that was so good that I have held off on posting its recipe, because I just might sell the cookie instead. Sorry, folks. ;) Anyway, that cookie prompted a discussion between my mother and me. She said I could be the next Mrs. Field's. I argued that Mrs. Field's cookies weren't as good as mine, therefore I didn't like the comparison. Well, Mrs. Field's cookies used to be delicious. I bet Mrs. Field got her start in her own kitchen and sold her cookie recipe to be mass produced, and now you can buy them in the cookie aisle and at any convenience store. They no longer taste home baked, though. Mass production makes them lack that home-baked taste.

The same can be said about Famous Amos and other cookie companies. Even Little Debbie. I wonder if Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies were once the brainchild of a fabulous home kitchen cook.

I found a recipe for oatmeal cream pies at honey & jam and I followed the recipe almost exactly. They turned out very well.

Oatmeal Cream Pies (modified from honey & jam)

Ingredients:

for the cookies:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp molasses
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla (make your own! It's easy and so much better than McCormick's!)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (don't use black or dark here)
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

for the cream filling:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 7 oz jar marshmallow cream
• 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp milk

How it's Done:

1. First, make the cookies. Cream together butter and sugars. Add molasses. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then add the vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, cocoa, cinnamon, and oats.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet, gradually.
4. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
5. Drop dough by heaping tablespoon onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cookies will look undercooked. DO NOT OVERBAKE.
6. Let cookies cool briefly.
7. Make  cream filling. Cream together shortening and marshmallow cream. Beat in vanilla extract. Gradullay add in confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Add milk and beat well for one minute.
8. Place a tablespoon of filling on the flat side of one cookie. Cover with another cookie, flat side facing filling. Continue until all cookies are filled.